This invention relates to a pile driver.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a pile driver of the gravity type involving the use of a weighted hammer, which is raised and allowed to drop onto a pile holder.
Pile drivers of the above described type already exist, including manually operated devices in the form of so-called post pounders and fluid cylinder operated drivers, which generate much higher forces. In generally, fluid cylinder devices, e.g. hydraulic cylinder actuated devices are somewhat complicated and consequently expensive to produce. Examples of such pile drivers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,068,045, issued to J. Wohlmeyer on Jan. 19, 1937; 2,885,862, issued to E. A. Smith on May 12, 1959 and 4,086,968, issued to G. C. Wandell on May 2, 1978. It is readily apparent that a need still exists for a simple, inexpensive mechanical or fluid operated pile driver.
The object of the present invention is to meet the above described need by providing a pile driver, which is relatively simple in terms of both structure and operation.